The Atlanta Falcons will be one of about a half dozen teams this next NFL season (whenever and wherever it takes place) with a new on-field look.
While the Dirty Birds will maintain their longtime primary logo (a form of it has been used for the franchise's entire existence – since 1996) and black, red, and white color scheme, they recently unveiled an all-new secondary logo and uniforms for 2020.
Atlanta Falcons Alternate Logo 2020 - Present
The secondary logo, which is the club's first since 2002, is the word ATL in black with a silver outline. The edges on the letters look like "wings," similar to the team's wordmark logo that's found in the endzones of Mercedez-Benz Stadium. The left side of the "A" is comprised of the traditional Falcons' body-and-wing logo.
The changes to the on-field look start with the helmet. The shiny black dome is replaced by a matte look, and the Falcon logo on each side has been enlarged, similar to the change made by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers five years ago.
The “ATL” script is featured above the numbers on the front of the jerseys, while the numbers are larger and feature sharper edges that match the Falcon logo. Home uniforms will be all black with white numbers and letters. The away jersey is all white with black numbers and red letters. An alternate uniform features a unique look – a gradient top that begins as red at the top and transitions to black, all over white numbers and letters.
Atlanta Falcons Wordmark Logo 2020 - Present
"I think these new uniforms will give us, give the city a new energy and I think people are going to really be excited about it," Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said in a press release. "We know this is a tough time for everyone right now, but we hope this can bring some excitement and light to our city and our fans. Around the whole world everybody knows what ATL stands for, so we're proud to represent that, today and every day."
After a terrible 1-7 start, the Falcons finished the 2019 season on a 6-2 run, likely saving head coach Dan Quinn's job in the process. Just three years after the Super Bowl debacle where the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots, it looked like the Falcons' foundation was going to crumble, but quarterback Matt Ryan and a high-powered defense will be back in 2020. They will face increased competition within the NFC South, as the Saints are always stout, Tampa Bay added the potent Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski combination, and Carolina has a new head coach in Matt Rhule and dynamic quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, who filled in admirably for Brees and the Saints a year ago.
See the Atlanta Falcons logo history and team history.